HOW “KHMER PRODUCT” IS MADE THROUGH DEVELOPMENT PROCESS: FOCUSING ON CHANGING THE VALUE OF AGRICULTURAL PRODUCTS IN CONTEMPORARY CAMBODIA

Abstract

This study investigates some aspects of the socio-cultural changes that took place in contemporary rural Cambodia by focusing on production and marketing practices. It explores both the changing value crops and the transformation in agricultural production and trade among Khmer farmers after a new farming technology was introduced by a local NGO.  The case study presented in this paper is a local NGO operating since 2001 in the rural area where the author has conducted fieldwork from 2005 to 2016. The NGO has introduced a new agricultural technique and tried to establish farmer organizations in village and national level.  The yield crops produced with new technology was authorized by NGOs and given the new commodity value of ‘Khmer organic products. This signifies that dissemination of new agricultural techniques brings not only change in the production itself but imposes a new system for marketing crops and images of Khmer products. Therefore, dynamically transformed the social relationship patterns not only among the farmers, but with outsiders as well, including development promoters